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05/16/2011

Language Day: A Cultural Microcosm

The Defense Language Institute, Foreign Language Center (DLIFLC) has been celebrating Language Day for more than 30 years, and this year’s festivities, held on Friday, May 13, 2011, offered all the cultural fun, food, and performances that have come to characterize this extraordinary event.

Forty different performances representing more than 20 countries and languages took place on the main stage at the Presidio of Monterey. The presentations included traditional music, dancing, fashion, and more.

And, of course, there was food. In addition to merchants selling customary goods and apparel, a host of vendors offering local and traditional food were swarmed by military and civilian food lovers alike.

More than 2,500 students and nearly 250 educators from about 45 schools throughout California attended Language Day. The event offered students and other community members a chance to experience authentic culture from a variety ethnic and language backgrounds, something that many in the community may never have the opportunity to experience again in their lifetime.